Cyclist who hit girl 5 on icy path sues her dad for posting a video of it

A cyclist who shot to viral fame after kneeing a young girl on an icy path is suing her dad for sharing a video of it online.

The footage was filmed by five-year-old Neia's dad, Patrick Mpasa, during the family's Christmas Day walk in Belgium's Walloon Region.

In the video, the five-year-old girl is seen walking by her mother's side on the snow-covered path as the cyclist approaches them from behind.

Just as he rides alongside the girl, he seems to extends his knee, hitting the little girl and knocking her to the ground before continuing on his way.

The family believed it was not an accident, as the man did not stop to check if the girl was okay but carried on cycling down the path.

The girl and the cyclist encountered one another on Christmas Day ( Newsflash)

Now the 62-year-old cyclist, who has not been named, is taking Mr Mpasa to court, local media outlet HBVL reported this week.

The aggrieved dad said last year: "He explained what happened and asked us to withdraw the police complaint, but he showed no remorse and did not apologise."

He said that he was not seeking revenge but wanted to share the images on social media to "raise awareness" about dangerous situations on the road.

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"A lot of people tell me that I should have hit him, but I don't agree and, in any case, I was in front of my children, which would have made things even worse for them," Mr Mpasa added.

"I also don't want a witch hunt, I just want him to apologise."

The girl was cast to the floor ( Newsflash)

The public prosecutor’s office was made aware of the incident and the police tracked down the suspected cyclist.

During a court hearing on 3 February, the bike rider claimed that the incident had happened because he had tried to keep his balance.

He said: "When I was riding close to the girl, I felt my rear wheel sliding. To avoid a fall, I balanced myself with a movement of my knee.

"I felt that I might have hit the girl, but did not immediately realise she had been knocked over."

The man also assured the judge that there was not enough room to pass the girl on the other side.

The cyclist pedalled on his way ( Newsflash)

In the end, the cyclist was not fined or sentenced by the court.

Almost a year after the incident, the cyclist is heading back to court, but this time, to sue the girl's father for defamation.

He said that the video resulted in him feeling threatened by the public and even scared to leave his own house.

Jacques Englebert, Mpasa's lawyer, responded: "We have the right to express ourselves. We have the right to post or have posted a video on the internet.

"In this case, we must check whether we have exceeded the limits of this freedom of expression."

The two parties are expected to meet for the first time on 18 November and the trial is likely to take place in the first half of next year.

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